GAME REPORT

Khimik Yuzhny 102 - Arsenal Tula 73

Khimik Yuzhny leads after the first play-off game against Arsenal.

Arsenal was first to score but three minutes later the scoreboard already showed 10:4 – a great start for Khimik. After the time out taken by the Russian coach Anatoli Mischkin the situation didn’t change – more successful attacks by the hosts caused a 10-point lead after first ten minutes.

10 in a row for Khimik at the beginning of the second quarter increased the score difference to 23 points. After that the hosts slowed down and Arsenal took advantage of the opportunity to get back into the game. During three minutes Arsenal outscored Khimik by 12. Roy Hairston was undoubtedly the best player in the second quarter having scored half of the points for the guests.

The effective play of Khimik at the beginning of the second half was interrupted for several minutes by technical problems: with 63:41 on the scoreboard the Sport Palace in Odessa sank into darkness because of a power cut. But this forced break didn’t destroy the victorious mood of the Ukrainian team: 79:50 at the end of the third period. The hosts scored 7 three-pointers out of 7 in this quarter – an outstanding achievement.

The Ukrainians had a comfortable 29-point lead at the beginning of the last quarter and slowed down a little. Alexandre Goloubev had great ten minutes who scored 19 points for Arsenal. But after the game the score difference was still 29. Final score 102:73.